


Used to it

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abused Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy has some sympathy, Draco Malfoy is a Little Shit, Harry Potter Needs a Hug, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, POV Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 09:51:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21509137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Huh? Oh, you're still here. What did you say? Don't you have other people to bother?" he asked as he looked up."That didn't hurt?" he repeated."Oh no that," he replied, "I'm used to it."
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 9
Kudos: 880





	Used to it

It happened early in 4th year. He had been flustered.

He had lost his charms assignment the night before it was due and he knew there was no way he could make it up in time.

Draco had spent his time in the library desperately trying to re-write it. It was draining. Who even needed a color change charm?

Draco groaned and looked at his watch. Silver, just like his eyes with the Malfoy family seal engraved at the top. It was slightly broken. The glass was shattered and was sticking out in all directions, daring someone to touch it. It was nearing 2:00 am and the work was tiring him. He decided to take a quick rest.

Everything would be fine after a quick rest. So he let his eyes droop closed and was quickly asleep.

The sweet release of sleep lasted shortly for minutes later he was woken by the sound of falling books.

He jolted up with a start and looked around the library.

Had Filch found him?

Doubtful.

The man had never caught Draco before.

Dracos eyes darted around the library.

Upon further examination, he found nothing but decided to get up and make sure.

He looked through the aisles, anger was starting to bubble within him.

He hadn't fallen asleep that quickly in months.

Finally, he spotted the culprit.

Harry Bloody Potter.

Sitting on the floor carefully turning the page of a book.

Of course, it was the chosen one.

He turned the corner and cast a silencing charm and he felt himself about ready to snap.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Draco yelled his words filled with venom.

Harry jumped and for the first time ever, Draco saw fear in the other boy's emerald green eyes. It was strange. It quickly disappeared but Draco despite his boiling anger with the idiot golden boy, was curious.

"Sorry Malfoy," he said, almost in a whisper.

"What are you even doing here freak?" he snapped.

There it was again. A glimpse of fear and pain in Potter's eyes. Draco shrugged it off. Probably nothing. What did Potter have to be scared of?

"I lost my charms assignment Malfoy. What are you doing here?" he replied with carefree confidence.

"Lost your charms assignment? How pathetic. I was here reading and I drifted off. Oh wait I forgot Potter, do you know what reading is?"

The other boy picked up the book in his hand and pointed at it. He didn't reply but _Really Malfoy_ was written all over his face. 

Draco rolled his eyes.

He was bored with the conversation but too tired to hex Potter.

He decided on the next best thing.

He walked over to Potter pulled him up by the collar and hit him swiftly across the face.

Potter didn't even wince.

Not even after Draco had realized. 

His watch was broken. 

There was a shard of glass in Potter's cheek. 

Potter sat back down swiftly on the floor and Draco watched in shock as he carefully removed it out of his cheek. 

He didn't even wince. 

That must have hurt like hell.

If their positions were switched he would demand to be taken to Pomfreys. 

Potter had resumed his position reading.

"That didn't hurt?" Draco accidentally blurted out.

"Huh? Oh, you're still here. What did you say? Don't you have other people to bother?" he asked as he looked up.

"That didn't hurt?" he repeated.

"Oh no that," he replied, "I'm used to it." 

There was something chilling about those words coming out of the others mouth.

Draco thought about those words for years. 

Why was someone like the golden boy of the wizarding world used to that?

He had never known a deatheater to do something like that. Certainly not Voldemort. But who?

He walked away speechless.

It was a year or so later when he realized. 

It was at Kings Cross station.

He was the only student to arrive so far. He had left early in the morning to get here.

He was sitting on a bench watching the movement of the Muggles as he waited outside the gate.

That's when he saw Potter. 

He looked thinner than Draco could ever remember and his oversized clothes hung off his shoulders.

He was walking next to a large blonde man who was pushing him along.

He watched Potter walking along silently.

The man looked around.

"Okay freak. I don't see any of your type yet so here are the rules, I certainly hope you remember them," the man said with a grim smile.

"One, don't take your shirt off in front of anybody, anybody," the man jabbed his finger into Potter's chest, "don't let them know what a freak you are."

Potter nodded.

A siren started ringing loudly in Draco's head. 

What was going on?

"Two, don't eat too much. We can't have you acting all entitled when you come back home next summer."

Don't eat too much?

What the Hell?

"Three, don't do anything that would get you kicked out of that school. It's a miracle you've lasted so long there and we don't want to see you more than we have too," the man growled.

Suddenly it came back to him.

_"I'm used to it."_

So this man, this muggle was the one that he was scared of. Probably someone who had hit him before. The only person he had ever known that was able to frighten the golden boy.

It hit him like the Hogwarts express.

Harry Potter was abused.

Draco covered his mouth in shock as he managed to revert his attention back to the two.

"Four, now this is the most important one boy. Don't tell anyone." Potter nodded. 

"Now if you break any of these rules," he grinned, "back to the cupboard next summer." 

With that, the man walked away. He didn't even say goodbye.

He watched Potter. He quickly took a deep breath. Shook out his body and walked towards the bench Draco was sitting on with a smile on his face. 

Oh shit.

Had Potter seen him?

He quickly grabbed a random Newspaper and began reading.

"Malfoy?" 

Draco looked up slowly.

"Potter."

"Never thought I'd see you reading a newspaper like that," he said.

He observed Draco for a minute and then started walking away. 

Draco reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Potter?" The other boy turned back to face him. "That man," he said slowly, "I heard what he said to you."

The fear was clear in Potter's eyes for a second before he shook it off. 

"It's not what you think Malfoy it's fine."

He turned to start walking away again but Draco stopped him.

"Why do you let them treat you like that?" he asked.

Potter considered this for a moment before responding. "Well, it's not like I have any other choice."

"You could tell someone," Draco suggested.

"I already have."

Then he walked off.

Potter was stronger than he thought.

He admired that.

At the same time.

He had never felt more sympathetic in his life. 


End file.
